Resonance
by Claamchowder
Summary: If my life must be the way of the ninja, then I will combine music along with this ninja way. AU
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hey gais. Just wanted to get a few things out of the way before we start. FIRST OF ALL.**

**THANK YOU xWeAPoNLoVIngHYUugAx FOR BETA-ING FOR ME! I LOVE YOU. **

**Second of all!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto!!!**

**That is all. :D**

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**RESONANCE**

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**Prologue**

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Music. It's the single most important thing in my life. As long as I had music surrounding me… I was _happy. _I could've had the worst day of my life, my brother could've been killed, or I could've been in great pain, but once the music was on, every worry, every stressful situation would be forgotten. I'd be carefree.

You could trace the origin of my love for music to my father. He was a man who was as passionate for music as he was for his family. Whenever the skies themselves seemed to be crying, when the sun was hiding itself behind the clouds, or even if it was simply me begging him to play a song, he'd bring out his viola and whip his bow across the strings. I loved it when he played. He and his music made up such a big part of my life that I thought it impossible that he wouldn't be there as I grew up.

And then that impossible happened.

My brother, Katashi, and I were staying at our grandparents' house at the time. It was close to dinner, if I remember correctly, and we were arguing who was cooler: the Sandaime or Yondaime. Neither of us knew much about the latter, seeing as I was maybe a month old when he had died and Katashi was only five. Really, we were arguing simply for the sake of arguing.

When a ninja had suddenly arrived to tell us of our parents' death, I remember that my first thought was that the whole thing was a joke; that Mom and Dad would walk into the room at any moment and say, "Just kidding!" But eventually the reality of the thing sunk in. They were _gone._ Dad was _gone_, and he would no longer fill our house with his songs.

Katashi had figured this out quicker than I had, and I could see tears slowly tumbling down his cheeks. That was bad in my eyes, very bad. My brother never cried, my brother wasn't supposed to cry! He was the one who always laughed, always smiled, always told jokes. Other than Dad, I looked up to the boy beside me who was shaking with grief. He made not a single sound, but that seemed to make things worse.

My own eyes began to sting and blur, and I found myself leaning into him. Side by side we grieved, two siblings now orphaned. And then I finally heard it; the sound of him crying.

"Why them?" He sobbed, leaning forward so that his normally tied-up hair fell forward to hide his eyes, his expression of pain. "Why them?!"

If I wasn't crying so much, I would've been asking the same thing.

My parents were good people who always tried their best to keep Konoha safe. They may have not been the strongest, but they were among the most dedicated. To have been killed off in what was supposed to have been "a simple escort mission" in their words was just…

Terrible. Awful.

I was only seven, yet the two of the people I held dear were ripped away from me by the cold hands of death.

Gramps and Grams had taken the ninja downstairs so that they could learn more about the whole ordeal, leaving Katashi and I alone.

"Katashi," I whispered, throat tight, "What'll we do without them?"

"I don't know…"

The next day there was a funeral for Mom and Dad, as well as the two other nameless shinobi who lost their life on that stupid, _stupid _escort mission. I cried when I found out that they never recovered the bodies, that I wouldn't get a chance to say a proper goodbye. They only had their photos, which were surrounded by a wreath of flowers that looked too colorful for a time of mourning. The Hokage said a few words, words I never heard because my sobbing was too loud.

I only calmed down when a couple of Dad's friends began to play their instruments. They weren't nearly as good as my father was─ who seemed to paint a picture with music only, who could write a song and make a story with it, who was just so wonderful at playing the viola─ but the music was just so comforting that my sadness was lifted, if only a little.

It was at that moment that I realized that now music would be the only thing that would make me happy. Sure, I still had Katashi, as well as Gramps and Grams, but what if they left me too? Music wouldn't leave me, it would always be there.

Always.

-musicisthewayoflife-

When I was first enrolled into the Ninja Academy, all I could seem to ask was _why._Why would I want this? Becoming a ninja? That'd get me killed. That's what would get Katashi killed. That's why Mom and Dad _were _killed. The path of a shinobi was riddled with death and destruction, something that I didn't want a part of. I wanted to create songs, influence the lives of those around me with music.

Also, seeing some of the other students getting picked up and dropped off by their parents made me so _jealous_. It wasn't fair for them to be so happy with their parents while I was alone. Grams and Gramps couldn't walk too far when it was hot out and Katashi usually had to meet up with the Genin team he was recently assigned to in the mornings. Sometimes he'd pick me up after school, but those moments were rare.

Why I never just skipped was beyond me. Maybe I felt as if I owed it to them; to Katashi, to Mom and Dad, to Grams and Gramps. I went, but I never enjoyed it. However, Katashi had said something shortly after my enrollment that stuck with me, strengthening my resolve. He said to do it for Gramps and Grams, and if not for them, for our parents, to do it in remembrance. And so I did.

The other kids were screaming and hollering in the class, teasing each other, laughing at jokes, just _having fun_, while I usually sat alone, daydreaming about the past, filling my mind with a sound I would never hear again. I'd think of my father smiling down at me, singing silly songs where he'd randomly place my name in just for the heck of it, or patting my head affectionately as he told me how wonderful music is and how _"Music is the way of life."_

I'd agree, I still _do_ agree. Music was the only good, _pure_ thing left in the word. It was untainted, like a newborn child. It swirled around us and never went away, ever omnipresent. No matter where you went, no matter what the culture, there was always music.

When our teacher, Umino Iruka, came before us one day and immediately started the lesson by stating that we must dedicate our lives to Konoha and the way of the ninja, I immediately thought of what Dad would always say to me. Music was the way of life.

If my life must be the way of the ninja, then I will combine music along with this ninja way.

And I'd use it to make a difference. No more needless deaths, no more sadness. I wanted to be a ninja that walked on the path of saving lives, instead of taking them.


	2. Downbeat

**Author's Note: Once again, thanks to xWeAPoNLoVIngHYUugAx!!!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, only the OC's.**

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**RESONANCE**

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**Chapter One: Downbeat**

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Instead of waking up to some _pleasant greeting_ that my older brother had prepared, I was woken up by my alarm clock. Slamming it off, I got up, not bothering to wonder why he wasn't around. Nor did I particularly care, though a part of me still stung, missing it. Shaking my head, I got ready for the morning.

I wore my usual gear. My dark violet tube vest was stylishly adorned with fishnet sleeves that ended at my elbows and a beige skirt that only ended mid-thigh. Back when I used to train, I would always end up with sweat getting in my eyes and wiping it away with a bare hand got really annoying after a while. Katashi noticed and bought me a pair of black sweatbands one day for my wrists to make it easier.

_Where is that dolt anyway?_ I thought with irritation as I struggled with the modest three-quarter length black leggings that would go underneath my not-so-modest skirt. I stumbled into the kitchen where Gramps usually awaited me with a heaping plate of food. There was a heaping plate and a bowl of soup, but Gramps was strangely absent

_Just where is everyone today anyway?_ I huffed.

Today was supposed to a special day for me; I was going to finally become a ninja. I'd be assigned to a team with two other people and a Jounin would be given the task of mentoring us into ninja-hood. You think that I'd be met by warm faces all gathering around me, congratulating me on not giving up and finally graduating from the Academy. Even _if _my grades weren't that good. Okay… terrible.

It wasn't that I was struggling with school, but it was more like I never had the time for it. Every other day after class I'd meet Katashi on his team's training field and he'd help me try and develop my music-based jutsu. It wasn't totally complete, and had some flaws in it, but it was the general outcome of my determination to become a ninja that used music in her fights. If Katashi couldn't help me, his sensei was sometimes around to give pointers. Adjust your chakra like this, change your stance to that, don't forget to breathe, you're not channeling your chakra into the strings like you're supposed to; things like that. It was time consuming and often plagued my thoughts, preventing me from finishing my homework or concentrating on class assignments.

But I _did_ understand what was being taught to me─ if I didn't I'd spend my weekends studying scrolls on the topic, sometimes accidentally choosing a few that were a bit too advanced. After awhile this became more of a habit than a chore, and I began to look forward to those few hours I set aside for simply reading. As a result, tests were a breeze. Granted, I sometimes did try to see more into a question, which resulted in answers that were way longer than what was required. Though it did get me the occasional extra credit points, the time I'd spend answering one question would limit the amount I'd have for the rest.

As I slowly ate the food that was prepared for me─ rice topped with natto, miso soup, and a side of grilled carrots─ I couldn't help but wonder why Katashi had simply skipped his usual routine waking me up just before the sun rose. I briefly considered the fact that I had woken up _much _earlier than intended, but tossed that idea before a second had even passed. My _alarm_ was what greeted me to the day, and it was set to go off _way_ later than the time he would me up at.

I allowed myself to let out a sigh before heading into the kitchen and dumping the dishes into the sink. As I ran the water and began to scrub the plate clean, I glanced at a picture Gramps kept on the fridge. There was a sharp pang in my chest as realization dawned on me as to what it was of. My parents' wedding picture. By the looks of the setting of the photograph, it was obvious that the ceremony hadn't been as extravagant as most people would like. However, the grins on their faces showed that they didn't care. _They were happy_. Mom looked beautiful in her sakura-colored kimono, which had the image of birds taking flight among golden flowers, but I couldn't help but stare at Dad. Even then he seemed to always carry around his viola.

I allowed myself to smile slightly at this.

-musicisthewayoflife-

After pulling my hair into two small pigtails and tying my _hitai-ate_ around my head, I finally decided I was ready to go. I had vaguely thought about bringing my weapons pouch and shuriken holster along with me, but soon remembered that we were simply being assigned into teams, not pitted against each other like the graduation exams for Kirigakure had been in the past.

Only when I began to descend the stairs did I hear the sound of my brother's voice call out to me. He looked… tired. There were circles under his hazel eyes and his sandy blond hair was sticking up in random directions, a sharp contrast to the usually neat ponytail he put it up in everyday. A grin grew on his face as he approached me, his eyes trained on my shiny new headband.

"Look at you!" He began, slinging his arm around my shoulders in a way that made the fabric of his light blue pajamas brush against the back of my neck, "My sister the ninja! Determined to walk down a path that only the greatest have ever journeyed." To add to his sentence, he swept his free arm in front of him, as if showing me the unseen road.

"I doubt that I'll go down any path that only the greatest _ever journeyed_," I managed to mumble through my embarrassment. I could feel my cheeks coloring as Katashi continued his monologue, slowly becoming more and more annoying as the seconds ticked by.

Just before I was about ready to elbow him in the gut, he said something that _really_ struck a chord within me.

"They'd be so proud of you, you know that? Ten times as proud as me, Grams, or Gramps. They're probably smiling down at you as we speak."

I could only allow myself to nod at him.

"By the way, I've got something for you. Took me forever to think about just _what_ to give to you, but I think I got it. Just lemme get dressed." So that's why he looked so tired. He probably stayed up past his usual bedtime just to come up with a gift. If he wrapped it, even longer, since he had the habit of messing up on simple things like gift wrapping.

I wanted to protest that I didn't need a present simply because I graduated, but if Katashi had spent as much time as I think he did, then refusing it would probably just make him more sad than anything. So I just stood there in silence, waiting for him to emerge from his room.

When he did, there was a large bundle in his arms. Though it looked as if a _monkey_ had wrapped it, mostly hiding its true identity, the general shape of the gift instantly alerted me as to what he planned on giving me.

I was stunned silent for a second as he handed it over to me, memories of him teaching me how to play the guitar, starting with him teaching me the chords, then slowly becoming more complicated. I could hear his light tenor voice singing along with the tunes I played; his voice that was so, _so_ much like Dad's. But once he nudged me lightly with his elbow I was brought back to the present.

"Aren't you going to open it?" He asked, his eyes flaring eagerly as he brushed a stray lock of hair from his eyes.

As much as I wanted to tear into it right then and there, I thought teasing my brother would be more entertaining. When I pointedly just _stared_ at him with a defiant smirk, his expression changed to slight annoyance.

"C'mon, just _open it,_" He ordered, tapping the paper lightly as he leaned forwards, eyes begging.

"… Maybe I'll just open it when I get back," I said as I moved to set the gift down so that it'd lean against the wall. "It'd be more of a surprise that way."

"Just. Open. It."

With a quiet laugh, I conceded, ripping off the brown wrapping to reveal what was underneath. It was what I expected it to be, but the idea of him just giving me something that Dad had given to _him_ on his tenth birthday just… blew me away.

As I held it in my arms, inspecting the stickers he had slapped onto it years before, as well as the scratches it received, I felt _happy. _

Grabbing the leather strap and slipping it over my head so that the guitar was now resting on my back, I pulled Katashi into a hug.

"Thank you_."_

"I figured that you'd need this later on," He said after a couple of seconds passed, "After all, that jutsu of yours needs an instrument to work, and you've been practicing it with _this_ guitar."

After pulling away, declaring that I should head off to school now, I walked down the stairs into the shop. It was packed. I really had no clue as to _why,_ until Grams popped up beside me.

"There's a festival coming up, and these people wanted us to put designs and such on their clothing for the occasion." She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the counter where Gramps was helping out a few customers. "Hiraku, Junko is about to head off! Don't you want to say a few words to her before she goes?"

My grandfather nodded, a proud gleam in his old eyes as he walked up to me with his arms wide open. He tried to pull me into a hug, but the guitar strapped to my back made it an uncomfortable embrace.

"I see Katashi gave you his guitar," He smiled, patting me affectionately on the head. "Congratulations, Jun-chan."

I was about to say thank you, but then Gramps interrupted me by _standing atop his desk and calling out to the customers_. "My granddaughter is a ninja as of today, everyone!"

A wave of dread and embarrassment came over me as I stared at the people crowding the store all focusing their eyes on me, a few of them clapping. Who else would it be, after all? I was the oldest kid in the shop, and was standing beside Gramps with a red face.

As I hurried out of the shop, a bunch of hands patting me as I go by, I heard Grams and Gramps bragging how I was the smartest in my class, as well as the strongest and most attractive. Granted, I was smart, but I was most definitely _not_ the strongest and most attractive.

Grandparents always stretched the truth when it came to their grandkids… Regardless, I was glad that I still had family with me. Some people have no one at all.

At this, I couldn't help but think of two boys, one as dark as night and the other as bright as day.

-musicisthewayoflife-

As soon as I had made it out the door, I turned to face the building that had been around far longer than me. It was a dull red in color and, compared to most of the other buildings in Konoha, wasn't that big. The dining room and the living room upstairs had to be meshed into one if we wanted to live comfortably, and the kitchen was so small that only one person could occupy it at a time if they wanted to be comfortable. Regardless, it was my home and I loved it. And when I returned to it I would no longer be some wannabe ninja who barely managed to stay focused in class. No, I'd be a Genin with a squad and a sensei. I'd be a ninja that would do her best to keep her family safe. Once I had my fill, I sprinted half the distance between the house and the Academy.

There wasn't much to look at on the way there, just a long stretch of fences and garbage cans, as well as a few alleyways that broke in between a few of the buildings for the non-shinobi to travel. A couple of trees could be seen poking up from behind the wooden enclosures, but that was about it. The path itself was concrete with weeds poking out here or there.

Once I got closer to the Academy, I could hear the squeals of kids younger than me, as well as some adults chatting with each other. The ones who were my age were probably already inside, eager to learn what team they'd be placed on and who their sensei would be.

Everyone would be placed in three-man squads, with two males and a female. After meeting their Jounin sensei, they'd go home and rest, and then take a test the next day to decide if they would become Genin. Not every graduating student could become a Genin, and the probability of more than three teams graduating was slim. Of course, the occasion had come up a few times in the past, but was usually due to the graduating class being larger than average.

Katashi had told me all about it yesterday night.

Anyways, once I reached my destination, I took a deep breath and stepped inside the building, muscles already tense with nervousness.

_What if I get placed on a team full of jerks?_

-musicisthewayoflife-

As soon as I had entered the classroom I could sense that something had happened. There were four clues, really, and once you pieced them together it wasn't too hard to figure out _what_ had gone on.

First of all, every female in the room was practically steaming, save for one shy Hyuuga, which meant that _some_ sort of offense had been committed… and it related to the Uchiha. The second thing was that the male portion of the class was cracking up, their faces red from laughter. Third was that Uzumaki was in pretty bad shape; his face already swelled from the beat down he had received before my arrival. Lastly Uchiha had a look of disgust on his face as he spat a couple times─ a strange sight.

So Uzumaki had probably done something… like kissing… _kissing_ Uchiha, resulting in the female portion's rage, and the male portion's laughter.

I couldn't blame the girls, though. Heck, _I _was angry. It was every girl's dream to claim his first kiss, and Naruto beat us all to it due to some accident. I doubt he'd do it on purpose, after all…

Glancing around the classroom, I noted that, for some odd reason, no one was sitting next to the raven-haired boy. I'd understand why Uzumaki kept his distance, but why none of the girls were fighting each other just to claim that spot surprised me. Even Yamanaka and Haruno─ the most passionate of his fan girls─ were sitting quite a distance away from him.

Maybe it was Uzumaki, I don't know. Don't really care much, either.

So, adjusting my guitar so I'd be able to slide past the blond without trouble, I took my seat between them. I settled my instrument in my lap then glanced briefly to my left, taking in the sight of the boy beside me in that split second. The sunlight seemed to hit him just right, making his dark hair shine and his features glow. I fought back the urge to let my cheeks color, lest I wish to have every girl breathing down my neck, declaring me as one of their many rivals in love.

Of course, once Uzumaki noticed my presence he made his usual loud observation. "Hey! You got a guitar! That's so cool! Can ya play it?"

What a stupid question. "Of course I can play it," I sighed, looking at him out of the corner of my eye, "If I couldn't, it'd be useless to carry this thing around."

"Will ya play for me now?" At this question, everyone's eyes suddenly turned on me, causing my face to turn red. I could tell that they, too, wanted me to play… at least, the majority of them did.

I wasn't that great with people, and tried to socialize as little as possible. So being the center of attention was most definitely _not_ something I was used to. I liked to be the casual bystander that observed from the sidelines, simply because attention made me flush and look so _dumb._

I thought about biting out a harsh _no_ and simply end it there, but that might make my future teammates, _whoever they may be_, dislike me. And things like anger and hatred in one's team would always end up making things turn out for the worse.

So I obliged, choosing the shortest tune I knew and playing it for them, my heart soaring with glee with every note that was produced. I didn't bother to hide the smile that grew on my face. Why would I? Music was, after all, my thing, my _passion._

As soon as I stopped playing, Iruka strode into the classroom, clipboard in hand. "Alright everyone, settle down!" He barked out at the already silent class─ they had been listening to me play. I tuned out Iruka's droning about the teams, each cell consisting of three people, and busied myself with strumming my guitar quietly, trying to remember all the songs that Katashi taught me. As I fingered the strings and switched the chords, I could almost hear my brother singing along with the tune.

I kept an ear open for my name, all the while creating a short list of people I wouldn't mind to be stuck with.

Uchiha, of course, Aburame, because he didn't look like the type that would make fun of his teammates, Nara, simply because he was too lazy to care about how people were, and Akimichi, who was one of the nicest people in the class if you weren't between him and a bag of chips. Of course, I was never on the receiving end of his kind gestures, but I saw it enough.

I didn't list any females since it was practically impossible to be stuck on a team with another girl.

The first five teams were made up of people I had absolutely no association with. I didn't exactly care about who got put on which team, unless it was me, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to watch the list of who I'd want to be placed with to slowly dwindle.

When Iruka came to Team Six, I heard Haruno's name get called out, followed by two boys by the names of Kumamoto Yukio and Saito Kisho. Once again their names drew a blank, but I found myself wondering why the heck I never noticed them before. They were cute.

Kumamoto had snow-white hair that was pulled up into a ponytail atop his head, with half-lidded chocolate brown eyes that obviously held a look of intelligence about them. His _hitai-ate_ was tied around his neck and was a red in color, which was weird considering that the only color option us graduating students had was a dark blue. Maybe he switched the cloth, I don't know.

Saito's hair was a common shade of brown─ not unlike mine─ that was styled to have the sides flair out, reminding me of wings. On both of his cheeks were purple markings, almost like upside-down tears. When I looked at his eyes, I realized that they were a shocking shade of pink, and he was squinting from the light. Does he have weak eyes?

I noted with some amusement that they were all sitting beside each other, like all the teams announced before, with Kumamoto in the middle. Which really made me wonder how the heck that came to be. There was no way that _every single team _was sitting next to each other by mere coincidence, but how did it happen? The only thing I could think of was Genjutsu, and that was really the best answer as well. I'd have to talk to Iruka about this later.

After informing Team Six of who their sensei was, Iruka moved onto the next team without missing a beat. "Team Seven will consist of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke," I was slightly appalled at this. Those two wouldn't be able to work together if their _lives_ depended on it. They were like fire and ice! "And Mochizuki Junko."

"_What?!_" I shrieked, jumping up so fast that I actually fell forward into the next row. Before I landed, though, I twisted myself so that no harm would come to my guitar. After all, breaking my guitar only hours after receiving the thing was not on my "To-do" list. Laughter roared around me (the loudest coming from a certain Inuzuka in the back row), causing me to close my grey eyes in frustration as I got up from my lowly position in the next row.

"Iruka-sensei," I said, making an effort to go back to my row with what dignity I had left. "I understand that you placed us with people to make the teams equal in power… but why am I in Team Seven?" _Aren't I dead-last? _Was my silent question.

"Yeah!" Uzumaki shouted, "Why 'm I on the same team as _him_? There's no point in placing such an awesome ninja like me with that bastard! He'd only get in my way!"

I struggled to keep down a grimace at Uzumaki's words as I gave Iruka a pleading look, my eyes begging him to get me out of this mess. He shot down what hopes I had left with a shake of his head. "Like I said, I do this to balance our teams. Naruto, Sasuke was at the top of his class while you," He seemed to put emphasis on the word you. "Graduated at the very bottom."

Uzumaki's face twisted into an expression of humility and anger as he opened his mouth to retaliate.

"Naruto…!" Once Iruka was sure Naruto wasn't going to interrupt him, he turned to face me. "Junko, you were placed on this team for two reasons. One is because I know you wouldn't stand them arguing. You hate noise, right?" Once I nodded slowly at him, he continued. "Second is because most teams have some special quality to them. For example, Squad Six's arrangement is for information gathering, espionage." … Um, what? I couldn't seem to think of those three as the spying type, despite that being one of the many jobs that we ninja have. They just… stood out. White hair, pink hair, and pink eyes… _Very subtle._ "Your squad is meant for fighting, simple as that. Sasuke's level-headedness, Naruto's knack of not knowing when to give up, and your ability to assess situations and act appropriately to them─ don't give me that look, I've _seen_ you practicing that jutsu of yours in mock combat with your brother─ is a perfect combo for any battle." After leveling me a look that practically said "_There, are you happy now?_" he moved onto the next team. Or at least, _tried to_. Uzumaki's "knack of not knowing when to give up" arose and he loudly objected to the placement of our team despite the logical explanation we were given with a whine.

"I still don't want to be on the same team as Sasuke! Iruka-sensei, switch him with someone else!"

"_No_, Naruto!" Iruka said in an annoyed tone, a vein throbbing near his temple. "I will _not_ switch Sasuke onto another team! And that's that! I don't want to hear another word from you regarding this matter or so help me I'll-"

The blond needed no other warning. Apparently he could be smart when he needed to, because he shut his mouth and silently steamed over the matter without another complaint.

Once he was sure that the prankster of the class wouldn't be interrupting him, Iruka moved onto the next team, which also sat next to each other. Was I the only one who even noticed the pattern?

Fed up with not knowing why some weird Genjutsu was placed over us and just not caring who the other teams were, I focused on my guitar again. Though it didn't need it, I busied myself with tuning the instrument and going over a couple chords. E minor, A major, A sharp, C minor…

"Just don't get in my way, dobe," Though it was pretty silly of me, I jumped at the sound of Uchiha's mocking tone. I wasn't used to being so _close_ to him, or even hearing his voice. I was the type who was content on observing from afar, after all.

Judging by the slight vibrations I felt from the seat, Uzumaki was about ready to spring upon the boy to my left. Acting quickly I shot out my right arm and grabbed his shoulder, giving him a look that was supposed to tell him to _calm down_.

"He's only trying to egg you on, Uzumaki-san," I said in a low voice before turning to face Uchiha. "Which you shouldn't even be doing. Seriously, don't start this _now_." When his onyx eyes focused themselves on me, I struggled to keep my face from turning red.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" He scoffed before turning his head to look at Iruka again.

I wanted to say "Hello, this _is_ my business," but Uzumaki interrupted me.

"Naruto," He said, forcing me to look at him with a quick tug of my arm.

"What?"

"Call me Naruto! Or Hokage-sama! None of that _Uzumaki-san_ crap, though. We're teammates now!"

I blinked at this. I called _everyone_ by their surnames, followed by the polite suffix.

"Okay, Naruto-san," I said slowly, finding it weird how I was calling the orange-clad graduate by his first name. Though it wouldn't be as weird as calling him Hokage-sama, which was outrageous in its own right. I understood that he wanted to become the next Hokage and all, but really! He wasn't Hokage _yet._

"Jus' _Naruto_!" He pressed, a grin slowly forming on his face.

"Okay, _okay!_ Naruto." And that felt even weirder. No suffix… it was like we were best friends all of the sudden.

"Everyone, report back here this afternoon to meet your sensei," Iruka announced once he was finished going through all the teams, "Until then, take a break."

And everyone let out a cheer… Except for my squad. Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other while I just put my head on the table and waited for them to leave. The sooner the better.

I heard the shuffle and general hubbub die down as the students─ or, ex-students─ filed out of the classroom and lifted my head up. Now was the time to ask about the pattern. I walked up to Iruka, who regarded me with a tired look, as if weary of what I would ask about.

"What's done is done, Junko. I can't place you in a different team."

I let out a sigh. "I know. I was just going to ask you why the teams all sat together. It seemed… weird."

A smile appeared on his face as he leaned over and cupped his hand near his mouth, almost inviting me to listen in on a secret that he wanted to tell. Being curious, I bent forward to hear what he had to say.

"Genjutsu. I wanted it so that the students wouldn't have to bother searching around the classroom for their teammates, as well as saving them the embarrassment of having to ask who the people they were paired up with were. It made things a lot easier for everyone."

After that, he left, leaving me feeling smug at the fact that I had thought of Genjutsu. I normally didn't catch them, but the fact that I did today made me feel proud.

Playing a small tune on my guitar, I walked out of the classroom with a skip in my step.

* * *

**Author's Note: Review please? :D**


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